Samsung races against rumors of an Apple 'iPad Pro' with two new 12-inch tablets

South Korean electronics giant Samsung on Monday fired a preemptive shot across the bow of Apple's widely-rumored, yet still unannounced, large-screened iPad with the new Galaxy Note Pro and Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2-inch slates.

Samsung's Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 with S Pen stylus

Both tablets sport identical 2560 x 1600 pixel "super clear" displays and share many of the same internal components, with Samsung tapping its own Exynos 5 Octa application processor in the 3G-enabled units and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 for the LTE-provisioned rigs. Each comes with 3 gigabytes of RAM and can be configured with either 32 or 64 gigabytes of built-in storage.

Along with the jumbo-sized display comes a dramatic increase in weight: both models tip the scales at nearly 1.7 pounds in their base configurations, a premium of more than half a pound over Samsung's smaller tablets.

Rather than adapting its TouchWiz user interface customizations for the larger screen real estate, Samsung has instead chosen to develop a new skin it calls Magazine UX, which features multiple tile-based home screens that appear to follow the paradigm established by Microsoft's Windows 8. Magazine UX runs atop version 4.4, or "Kit Kat," of Google's Android operating system and brings a variety of productivity features including the ability to run up to four apps concurrently and support for the company's S Pen stylus.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2

Pricing for the hulking tablets has yet to be announced, but normally-reliable Samsung watchers SAMMobile.com have leaked the devices' European costs in a series of tweets. The Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 LTE variant is expected to fetch ?849 ($1,158) at retail, with the Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 LTE model coming in at ?749 ($1,021).

Samsung's announcement comes as rumors swirl around a potential "iPad Pro" that would feature a larger, 12- to 13-inch display. One analyst went so far as to predict that such a device, equipped with a hardware keyboard in a "clamshell" form factor, would disrupt the enterprise notebook market. even more so than Apple's 9.7-inch iPad has.

Obviously Samsung had this in development before the "iPad Pro" rumors started. But no doubt they're rushing it to market so they can claim "first!". The software UI looks like a ripoff of Flipboard, or even HTC's sense.

Hilarious if they *never* intended to make an iWatch, Apple TV or an iPad Pro, but simply pretended to be just to get the competition/Samsung on those tracks working hard to come up with some failed products taking away precious resources from developing the next big thing.

Nah, Apple is working on all these things and Samsung is simply copying the rumors. Can´t wait to see the final result from Apple.

This is going to be interesting. 1st If the price point is above $1000 I think it will not be a hot seller 2. If Apple launches its own 12 inch and can keep the starting price at say $599 or $629 it will be a instant hit. Lets see how Apple reacts. But for sure unfortunately this will bring the stock down. This is a true move from Samsung.

A watch is questionable, but it is indeed very likely. Undoubtedly they are working on it. Whether or not it will be released is a matter of market considerations.

so what are you saying? They may or they may not? I'd agree with that. But I have to say I find the watch thing unlikely. I just don't see the point. For a while I thought it a good idea if the watch was a futuristic biometric sensor device, but sensors can be worn independently of any device, yet communicate with a device of the user's choice. In other words, wearable sensors and associated software should work great with an iPhone. So why the wrist band?

Obviously Samsung had this in development before the "iPad Pro" rumors started. But no doubt they're rushing it to market so they can claim "first!". The software UI looks like a ripoff of Flipboard, or even HTC's sense.

The rumors started like a year ago so Samsung may have been reacting to the early chatter.

Just like the first time Steve presented the Ipad 1, one has to ask the question, what functions do the 12" tablet serve?

With this design, simply more bulk and higher price, and with no clear cut need for it, where is the mass market?

Ipad pro, 12" ipad? I can see a market for it if Apple designs a stand and a keyboard to go with it, to be placed on the desk as a notebook PC replacement.

People who don't need Microsoft office can easily use an ipad pro for their daily computing needs. Less maintenance, less power consumption, already bought lots of apps and games (plus game controllers even).

It's highly unlikely that Apple will bring out a larger iPad. I don't see the practical reason.

Dunno we'll see...

It is? You don't?

How many 9.7" notebooks does Apple make? Obviously there is something to a larger screen, otherwise MacBooks wouldn't start at 11" and go up from there. People can do more with larger screens. It is that simple.

Hilarious if they *never* intended to make an iWatch, Apple TV or an iPad Pro, but simply pretended to be just to get the competition/Samsung on those tracks working hard to come up with some failed products taking away precious resources from developing the next big thing.

Nah, Apple is working on all these things and Samsung is simply copying the rumors. Can´t wait to see the final result from Apple.

Not Apples style. They don't ignore a potential market nor do they pretend to be working on something to screw with the competition.

We know they have at least considered several things because they filed for patents related to them. They likely also prototyped many, which could be where some of these rumors came up. Someone sees the prototypes and erroneously assumes they are intended to go to market. But many things tested get turned down in favor of letting others like Pebble take the risk and reap what is likely deemed a small reward at this time.

As for rumors Apple doesn't comment on them or talk about future plans so they won't correct a misperception. If someone has one and claims a product is real and another company jumps to beat it to market so what. When this Samsung 12 inch finally shows up if it doesn't blow away the market Apples decision to not create such a product will be vindicated. And if Apple beats them to market with a morse whiz bang 10 inch, that is exactly what might happen

I've been hoping for a larger iPad. Now that Samesung has beaten Apple to market I should buy one of theirs, they even look like iPads. Ah... no.

I can see a larger iPad. I would use it on the couch instead of sitting in my den at a desk.

May consider it for one-on-one presentations, too. I love what Apple has done with iWork. The instant syncing between all my devices is truly amazing! I can see owning a "few" iPads.

Before Apple's reinvention of the iWork suite, I had gone through all my reports and charts and on my iMac "simplified" them so it would be easy to update them (some of them weekly) on my iPad. Anything you can do on your iPad is more fun than doing it on a desktop computer. Even a machine as beautiful as the iMac.

I'd use the iPad Mini-R for being out and about and traveling.

P.S. Not quite there yet, but we are getting really close to not needing a laptop!

Obviously Samsung had this in development before the "iPad Pro" rumors started. But no doubt they're rushing it to market so they can claim "first!". The software UI looks like a ripoff of Flipboard, or even HTC's sense.

I don't think it is obvious at all. I may not like Samsung as a company. And I might think that their idea of innovation is a joke, but one thing that they are very good at is turning out a "finished" product (at least finished for them) very fast.

I am with everyone else here. This is a blatant and sad attempt by Samsung to say that they did a 12" tablet before Apple.

I still think that Apple should release rumors of their new upcoming toilet, just to see how long it takes Samsung to announce their own toilet.